Degeneration: Age of Expansion - A Kurtherian Gambit Series (The Ghost Squadron Book 4) Read online

  CONTENTS

  LMBPN Publishing

  Dedication

  Legal

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Epilogue

  Author Notes - Sarah Noffke

  Sarah's Sci-fi Paranormal Series

  Author Notes - J.N. Chaney

  J.N. Chaney’s Space Opera Series

  Author Notes - Michael Anderle

  Acknowledgements

  About Sarah Noffke

  About J.N. Chaney

  Michael Anderle Series List

  Michael Anderle Social

  DEGENERATION

  The Ghost Squadron Book 4

  By Sarah Noffke, J.N. Chaney and Michael Anderle

  A part of

  The Kurtherian Gambit Universe

  Written and Created

  by Michael Anderle

  DEDICATION

  For Lydia. My greatest treasure in the universe.

  -Sarah

  For Mom and Dad. Thanks for the telescope.

  -J.N.

  To Family, Friends and

  Those Who Love

  To Read.

  May We All Enjoy Grace

  To Live the Life We Are

  Called.

  - Michael

  DEGENERATION

  Team Includes

  JIT Beta Readers - From all of us, our deepest gratitude!

  James Caplan

  Kelly O’Donnell

  Edward Rosenfeld

  Peter Manis

  Kimberly Boyer

  Erik Cushman

  Micky Coker

  Paul Westman

  Larry Omans

  John Ashmore

  Joshua Ahles

  Alex Wilson

  If we missed anyone, please let us know!

  Editor

  Lynne Stiegler

  DEGENERATION (this book) is a work of fiction.

  All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Sometimes both.

  Copyright © 2018 JN Chaney, Sarah Noffke, Michael T. Anderle and Craig Martelle

  Cover by Andrew Dobell, www.creativeedgestudios.co.uk

  Cover copyright © LMBPN Publishing

  LMBPN Publishing supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.

  The distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

  LMBPN Publishing

  PMB 196, 2540 South Maryland Pkwy

  Las Vegas, NV 89109

  First US edition, January 2018

  The Kurtherian Gambit (and what happens within / characters / situations / worlds) are copyright © 2015 - 2018 by Michael T. Anderle.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Planet Sagano, Behemoth System

  Heat blasted Eddie as he ducked under fallen trees, staying in a crouch as he sprinted through the burning jungle. The fire at his back was growing in intensity, even though the crews had been fighting it for days.

  A loud crack jerked his attention overhead. The fire had overwhelmed a large stand of trees, that had fallen in on each other until the largest chose the direction they were going to fall. Eddie rolled to the side, dirt and ash raining down on him as the burning trees hit the ground exactly where he’d been.

  He didn’t pause, dashing forward to clear the next part of the conflagration. His vision blurred from his incredible speed, and his feet hardly felt as if they touched the soft ground before rising again.

  Flames licked the side of a building, having jumped from nearby branches, but Eddie sped up the ladder to the house on stilts. Entering a burning building was one thing, but entering one that was held up by wooden poles in the middle of a forest fire was something else entirely. None of this seemed at all like a good idea.

  Too bad he didn’t have a choice.

  Eddie opened the trap door at the top, which slammed over as he spilled into the jungle hut. As he scanned the room, smoke burned his eyes. The living space and kitchen were combined but there were some rooms at the back, so he ran in that direction while wiping tears from his eyes.

  He kicked the first door open and searched the room, which was empty. The structure rocked, probably from the fire consuming the front of the house, which was where the next set of rooms was located.

  Without hesitating, Eddie darted for the next room and rammed his shoulder into the door, ripping it off its hinges. He still wasn’t used to his enhanced strength. After all, he’d only had this body for a short time. No one there either.

  Eddie pivoted to the adjacent wall and shot his foot straight at the door. The interior was empty at first glance, and fire and smoke spilled through the open window. Eddie covered his face from the blaze and was about to head for the next room when something caught his eyes.

  Between the wall and the bed on the far side of the room was a small boy.

  Thank the fucking stars! Eddie thought, relief swelling in his chest. “Come on!” yelled Eddie, extending a hand to the kid, who was about four years old. The boy’s large eyes stared at the intruding fire, and his face was swollen and red from the heat.

  “It’s okay! Come on, pal,” Eddie urged him. He dashed forward and scooped the kid into his arms, disregarding the intense heat on that side of the room. “Hold on to me.”

  The child clutched Eddie’s neck tightly and wrapped his legs around the man’s waist.

  Eddie ducked as low as he could with the boy attached to him, and ran toward the ladder. He could hear the boy sobbing, although it was barely audible over the sound of the fire destroying the house. He wrapped one arm around the child’s back and shielded his eyes from the smoke with his other hand.

  “It’s going to be all right,” Eddie screamed over the crackling flames.

  The boy vibrated with terror as Eddie carried him back to the trap door. The house rocked forward this time, and Eddie lost his footing and slid. The floor was at an angle now, and the stilts weren’t going to remain upright much longer. Eddie realized that they were at the lowest point of the house, so if it fell they’d be crushed in the burning destruction.

  Eddie threw their combined weight forward to make up the ground they’d lost when the building tilted. He pressed his boots hard into the floor, it felt as though he were trying to climb a slick mountain.

  The fire had overtaken most of the main living area and was closing on them fast. Without a second glance, Eddie struggled to the ladder and clumsily crouched, then located the
first rung with his boot. It was harder to manage with the boy clenched to his front, but there was no time to change positions.

  “Hold on tight,” Eddie ordered. “We’re getting out of here!”

  The child nodded against his chest, his face pushing into him hard. Eddie climbed down the leaning ladder. The fire had crawled under the house and was eating at two of the four stilts. Overhead, the wooden floor throbbed.

  A loud crack shook the structure, and the house dropped two feet. The boy’s body tensed against Eddie’s torso as his gaze flew to the righthand stilt, which had splintered and was barely holding.

  The house groaned, fire spreading over the floor above them.

  Making an impromptu decision, Eddie leapt backwards, wrapping his arms around the child as they plummeted down.

  Eddie landed with a crouch, still holding the child. In an instant, he hunched over and started running, the crackling fire at his back.

  A tumultuous crash echoed behind them. The house was leaning aggressively forward and it started to fall, so Eddie kicked it into high gear and barreled away faster than he had ever run before. The heat from the fire seared his back, and smoke and fire shot from the building as it crashed to the ground behind him. He’d barely made it out! He kept running as trees toppled toward him in the wake of the collapse of the burning house.

  The rush of heat made Eddie’s skin feel like it was melting, but he kept his head tucked and pressed the boy against him as he sped back the way he’d come. Only a little farther, he said to himself, unable to say anything aloud. He wasn’t out of breath from running, but rather from the smoke he’d been inhaling since this started.

  Fire had taken over most of the jungle, and it was closing in on them. Eddie leapt over a burning log since he couldn’t see a clear path around it, then ducked under a curtain of vines and leaves, smoking and singed at the ends. Soon the entire area would be engulfed.

  Carrying the boy jostled Eddie’s body oddly, but his weight didn’t slow him down. The threat of burning to death was motivation enough for him to hurtle through the flames.

  Finally, Eddie burst into a clearing where the ground was already charred and the tree stumps were smoking but not afire. This was where it had all started. He halted, and after heaving in a giant breath he tried to unclasp the boy’s hands from behind his neck. For a little guy he was strong, and clearly not willing to let go.

  “Hey, buddy. You’re okay. You’re safe,” said Eddie, patting the kid on the back gently. The child relaxed a little and slowly pulled away, staring at him with large brown eyes. He cried softly, tears glistening on his cheeks.

  “That’s it. Take a breath. It’s okay,” said Eddie.

  “Dracott!” a woman yelled in the distance. She ran in their direction with her brown hair flying behind her.

  The boy whipped his head around, and another sob emerged from his mouth. He pushed away from Eddie eagerly, dropping to his feet and sprinting for the woman. “Mommy!”

  When the two met on the charred ground, the woman grabbed her son. She was shaking and crying as she clutched the boy, pinning him into her chest.

  Eddie strode toward them, seeking refuge from the heat of the fire at his back. In the distance he saw the team, who were still trying to quell the stubborn fire which had destroyed many homes and much animal habitat in the area.

  When Eddie approached the boy and his mother, Dracott’s arms were wrapped around his mother’s neck and his head was resting on her shoulder like he was ready for a nap after the whole ordeal. The woman rubbed her son’s lean back, tears still puddling in her eyes.

  “Thank you, sir. I cannot thank you enough for what you did,” she said, her voice vibrating with relief.

  Eddie smiled at the mother and son, finally reunited.

  Julianna approached with a sly grin on her face. She didn’t seem relieved to see him safe.

  “You’re absolutely welcome,” said Eddie to the woman. “Now, you two should get as far from the fire as possible. Dracott inhaled a lot of smoke.”

  The woman nodded and carried her son away.

  “You weren’t worried about me, were you?” Eddie asked Julianna when she paused beside him to stare at the retreating family.

  “When did I have time to worry? I was timing you,” she joked.

  A laugh popped from his mouth. “What was my time?”

  “Two minutes and ten seconds,” answered Julianna.

  “And you didn’t worry even a little bit?”

  Julianna cut her eyes at him. “Maybe toward the end, but I knew you were going to get that boy to safety one way or another.”

  “Poor kid! He was terrified.”

  “Yeah, fires like this bring chaos. It was a shame that he got lost, but at least you jumped in to save him,” said Julianna.

  Eddie surveyed the burning jungle. “What do you think? Is there more we can do here?”

  “The fire crew said they could use an extra few hands on the eastern perimeter. They’re trying to fence in the fires there,” said Julianna.

  Eddie rubbed his hands together eagerly. They’d had Pip monitor the radios for disasters on nearby planets so Eddie could swoop in and do something brave to break in his newly-enhanced body.

  “I’m ready! Let’s do this,” said Eddie, ambling forward.

  “You think you’re going to get this adventuring thing out of your system soon?” asked Julianna from beside him.

  “Does it ever wear off—having these enhancements?”

  “No, not really. Not for me, anyway,” said Julianna.

  Eddie grinned. “Then no. What’s the point in having this body and not using it?”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Felix Castile’s Office, Unsurpassed, Tangki System

  The red light from the screen on the wall cast an eerie glow in the office. Felix narrowed his eyes, his lips pushing out in a slight grimace. He’d been staring at the image on the screen for a full minute, and it still didn’t make sense. That was a rarity for him.

  He swiveled to face the scientist sitting on the other side of the desk. “Explain exactly what I’m looking at.”

  A snotty laugh sputtered from the man’s mouth. Elemius was neither tall nor short nor fat nor thin. He was also neither attractive nor ugly. He just was, with his plain brown hair and eyes to match. His chuckle fell away once he caught the look of disgust on Felix’s face.

  “It’s really quite simple. I’d assumed you were well versed on chemical compositions,” said Elemius, gliding his hand over the top of his head nervously.

  Felix sharpened his eyes at the scientist. Elemius was the best. He’d been hard to retain, and he must have known how critical his involvement was or he wouldn’t have been so bold.

  “I’m well aware what I’m looking at, but I don’t understand exactly what it’s supposed to be,” said Felix, enunciating each word, his hostility palpable.

  “Right, well, chemistry isn’t for everyone. The same is true of genetic engineering.” Elemius cleared his throat as he stood. He pointed at a strand of DNA on the screen. “This example shows a specimen with a nanotechnology-enhanced system.”

  “I can clearly see that,” said Felix, his voice sharp.

  “Right, of course you can,” said Elemius in a patronizing fashion. “This specimen has additionally been inoculated with a toxin that degenerates the subject’s cells on a continuous basis. I call it ‘degen’ for short.”

  “That’s the reason for the change in the appearance of the DNA sample?” asked Felix. Now this was starting to make sense. He had guessed something was off, but couldn’t pinpoint it.

  “Precisely,” stated Elemius. “Degen overwhelms a center in the body, continuously breaking down the cell membranes and attracting the attention of the nanocytes. As they speed in to fix this area, they reprioritize and focus on repairing the microdamage the toxin is inflicting. This, in turn, stops the nanocytes from enhancing existing cells. That means the subject is unable to heal quickly, fight
certain diseases, or revitalize the body. They begin to age naturally as well. So long as the nanocytes are occupied, they are incapable of performing their original tasks.”

  “You’ve distracted them, in essence,” said Felix.

  “Correct,” said Elemius. “Which means, if a subject is attacked then they are unable to recover.”

  “They become purely human again, then?” asked Felix.

  “Yes. Once degen is administered, the subject is fully human. They will have zero enhanced abilities. No increased speed, strength, or healing abilities. Degen degrades a person with nanocyte technology back to their original self.”

  “What if they are put back through the process? Enhanced again using a Pod-doc?” asked Felix, unwilling to celebrate this near-success yet.

  Elemius held up a single finger, a triumphant look on his face. “It wouldn’t work. Degen will again attract the nanocytes, rendering them useless. Its draw is too strong, and once it has the nanocytes, then it holds them hostage.”

  “So, there is no way to reverse degen?” asked Felix.

  Elemius shrugged. “I’m guessing there could be a way. Destroy the toxin in the system maybe, but it would be incredibly difficult.”

  Felix allowed a small smile that spoke of his satisfaction. This was it. Finally, he’d figured out a way to destroy General Reynolds. The man was incredibly well- guarded, which posed its own risks. However, even if Felix could get a hit on him, then he’d most likely recover without incident. Felix didn’t just want the general to fall, he wanted him to suffer. He wanted him to die like a normal human, vulnerable and defenseless.

  Felix felt the urge to laugh. In his mind, he could see the general being inoculated with degen. His eyes would be full of fear as he stared at the barrel of Felix’s gun. He’d know how fragile his body was. He’d know that he’d been beaten. He wasn’t as strong as he thought. And more than anything, and most important to Felix, was that Lance Reynolds would regret what he’d done. He’d regret turning his back on Felix all those years ago.